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Local Government Election (NI) - Wednesday 20 May 1981


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Local Government Election (NI)
Wednesday 20 May 1981

Introduction

The following are the (draft) results of the of the 1981 District Council (local government) elections held in Northern Ireland on Wednesday 20 May 1981. The elections were held to elect 526 councillors to the 26 District Councils of Northern Ireland. The voting in this election was by means of 'proportional representation'.

Summary of Results

Electorate:
Total valid vote:
Spoiled votes:
Percentage turnout: 66.2%

Party
First Preference Votes
% Valid Poll
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
176,816
(26.6%)
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
176,342
(26.5%)
Social Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP)
116,487
(17.5%)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI)
59,219
(8.9%)
Irish Independence Party (IIP)
25,859
(3.9%)
Loyalist (Loy.)
21,699
(3.3%)
Ulster Popular Unionist Party/Unionist Party of N.Ireland (UPUP/UPNI)
12,491
(1.9%)
Workers Party Republican Clubs (WPRC)
12,237
(1.8%)
Labour Party (Lab)
9,854
(1.5%)
Independent Nationalist (Ind. Nat.)
9,487
(1.4%)
Others
45,011
(6.7%)
Total
665,502
(100%)

Source: Flackes and Elliott (1994)

Details of distribution of seats on the 26 District Councils

Council
DUP
Loy
UUP
UPUP/ UPNI
APNI
Lab.
WPRC
SDLP
IIP
Ind. Nat.
Others
Antrim
4
0
7
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
0
Ards
7
0
3
2
3
1
0
1
0
0
0
Armagh
3
1
8
0
0
0
0
7
0
0
1
Ballymena
13
0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
Ballymoney
7
0
3
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
Banbridge
4
0
8
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
Belfast
15
3
13
1
7
1
0
6
0
4
1
Carrickfergus
7
2
3
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
Castlereagh
9
0
5
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
1
Coleraine
6
0
8
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
3
Cookstown
3
1
4
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
2
Craigavon
7
1
9
0
1
0
2
5
0
0
0
Derry
5
0
4
0
0
0
0
14
4
0
0
Down
3
0
6
0
1
1
1
8
0
0
0
Dungannon
3
0
8
0
0
0
0
3
1
0
5
Fermanagh
2
0
8
0
0
0
0
4
4
0
2
Larne
6
1
4
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
1
Limavady
2
0
6
0
0
0
0
5
1
0
1
Lisburn
10
1
8
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
Magherafelt
4
1
2
0
0
0
0
5
1
0
2
Moyle
2
1
4
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
4
Newry and Mourne
2
0
6
0
0
0
0
16
4
0
2
Newtownabbey
5
2
9
0
3
1
0
0
0
0
1
North Down
5
1
4
4
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
Omagh
4
0
4
0
2
0
0
5
5
0
0
Strabane
4
0
3
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
4
Total
142
15
152
7
38
4
3
103
21
4
37

Source: Flackes and Elliott (1994)


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